Taste of Honey GCSE Student Edition

Written specifically for GCSE students by academics in the field, the Methuen Drama GCSE Student Editions provide in-depth explanatory material alongside the play texts frequently studied at Key Stage 4.

Whether for use in the classroom or independent study, these editions offer a fully comprehensive and lightly glossed play text with accompanying notes specifically directed towards readers of this age, which unravel essential topics and challenge all students to delve further into literary analysis.

Shelagh Delaney’s modern classic A Taste of Honey is a comic and poignant exploration of class, feminism, race, sexual orientation and optimism in post-war Britain. Fifty years after its hit premiere, working-class Lancashire lass Jo’s story continues to engage new generations of audiences.

In addition to some on-page explanatory notes and the play text itself, this edition contains sub-headed analyses of themes, characters, context and dramatic devices, as well as background information on the playwright.

The Methuen Drama GCSE Student Editions never lose sight of their readership, and offer students the confidence to engage with the material, explore their own interpretations, and improve their understanding of the works.

Shelagh Delaney was born in Salford, Lancashire. She won multiple awards for her play A Taste of Honey, for which she later wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation. She has also written for television, radio and has published a collection of short stories. She died in 2011.

Kate Whittaker is a former English and Drama teacher who has worked in a variety of UK secondary schools. She is now Lecturer in Drama at Birmingham City University, specialising in post-war British and North American theatre.